The invention relates to an optical fiber connector comprising two connector portions, each of which comprises a housing with means for detachably connecting the connector portions to each other. Each connector portion also includes centering means, arranged in the housing, for centering the fiber ends to be connected with respect to each other, and a reference face for positioning an end face of a fiber end. The reference faces of the connector portions contact each other when the connection is made.
A connector of the kind described above is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,143. The connector described and shown therein comprises centering means in each connector portion for centering the fibers to be connected with respect to each other. The centering means consists of a first bushing which is arranged in a housing and which is provided with an eccentric hole. A second bushing is provided in the eccentric hole, and another eccentric hole is provided in the second bushing. The optical fiber to be connected is arranged in the hole in the second bushing. By rotating the bushings with respect to the housing, the position of the fiber end (arranged in the second bushing) can be made to correspond to the position of the fiber end in the second connector portion. The bushings are then rotated until the light transmission from one fiber end to the other fiber end is as large as possible. At this point, the connection efficiency is optimum.
However, a drawback of the known connector is that a connector portion of a first connector cannot be combined with a connector portion of a second connector without requiring adjustment of the eccentric bushings for achieving the optimum connection efficiency. In order to achieve the optimum connection efficiency between two arbitrary connector portions, connection of the connector portions to each other must be followed by recentering of the fiber ends with respect to each other by means of the described centering procedure.
Moreover, the fiber ends are glued into the connector portions of the known connector, so that connector portions cannot be reused should one end face of a fiber end be damaged or should a fiber break. It is also to be noted that while centering the fibers with respect to each other, the contacting reference faces of the bushings move with respect to each other. This movement may damage the end face of a fiber end. Furthermore, during the connection of the connector portions to each other, the bushings can already move with respect to each other, which may also lead to damage. Moreover, the movement of the bushings over each other produces particles, as a result of wear, which have an adverse effect on the transmission of light between the two fiber ends, and hence on the connection efficiency.
Like many other connectors which have to be repeatedly attached and detached, the connector described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,143 comprises parts, such as the bushings, which are subject to wear, unless these parts are made of a durable and hence expensive material. This wear makes the centering of the fibers with respect to each other more difficult and inaccurate over the course of time.